Russia Banned From The 2018 Winter Olympics—Here’s Why

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The 2018 Winter Olympics will go down this February in Pyeongchang, South Korea, but one country isn’t welcome to compete.

On Tuesday, Dec 5, the International Olympic Committee addressed “the systematic manipulation of the anti-doping system” in Russia. It was announced that Russian athletes will not be able to represent their country in the 2018 Winter Olympics, as the Russian flag will not be flown. Individual Russian athletes, chosen by the IOC, will have the option to compete under the name “Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR).” “They will compete with a uniform bearing this name and under the Olympic Flag. The Olympic Anthem will be played in any ceremony,” the IOC wrote on their official website.

The IOC also banned officials from the Ministry of Sport from this year’s games, and in a couple cases, from all future games. See the full report here and tweet us your thoughts.